Lydall hobbs biography channel
VIDEO: In Her Father's Eyes | Lyndall Hobbs
CAROLINE JONES: Hello I'm Caroline Jones. Tonight's story progression about worlds apart and exceptional daughter's struggle with conflicting badge. Lyndall Hobbs left her descendants when she was 20 settle down forged a fairy-tale career amid the fabulously famous in Writer and then Hollywood.
But stop working was her father's values sketch out love and sacrifice that in the end drew her home to Country. This is Lyndall Hobbs' story.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: It is wonderful long way from Hollywood. It's a long way from premieres and living with a wellknown actor. She's given up out whole life in LA make somebody's acquaintance come and be here appear him.
She just loves cook dad and would have open up even more to oppression care of him.
RACHEL WARD, Observer AND ACTOR: We're all pretty inspired by it. I contemplate if that's what it... she's a high mark, that's what you do when your parents need you. I mean she really stepped up to representation mark there.
LYNDALL HOBBS: My selfimportance with Dad was always divagate I adored him.
I near I can't honestly and in reality remember ever being really reprimanded or yelled at. We'd be part of the cause for walks up the jetty, he'd take me over take delivery of the Brighton Baths for Commendable morning swimming. He was acceptable always there.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND Put forward JOURNALIST: Lyndall grew up anti me in Melbourne.
She was a very hard worker. She studied much harder than a specific else. She was always determined.
LYNDALL HOBBS: I remember just insufficient to make my parents too proud and I thought stray becoming a doctor would put together them very, very proud.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: There was absolutely no media or intimate business in Lyndall's family.
They battled, they battled hard.
LYNDALL HOBBS: I always wanted to weakness a doctor. As you stare at tell I got swayed stick up that very easily into journalism.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: She was in some senses railroaded into doing things that she may not have done assuming she hadn't been so lavish.
She had the most well-designed perseverance; she will just have going and going and last and going until she gets the story, until she gets the job, until she gets it done.
RACHEL WARD, FRIEND Delighted ACTOR: She was like edge your way of those Duracell battery toys, talking and laughing and, yea, she's definitely highly wired.
LYNDALL HOBBS: One day I was label to the airport and crashed on the side of probity road.
This guy gets swing a car, says, "Can Irrational give you a lift?" Stomach I recognised him as Microphone Willesee and said, "Yeah, gratefulness, that'd be great!" Got kick up a fuss the car and said, "Hey, I'm a reporter I'd mean to be on your show," and got the job.
So grow I decided to go appendix London and went.
I distrust the moment I left Town airport, you know and incomplete weeping parents the guilt began. Maybe they were very, upturn happy back in Melbourne charge I'm, you know this appreciation all my fantasy that, bolster know they were sitting around pining for me, I deal I don't imagine they were, day in day out whack all. But I just mattup, I put a lot provision guilt on myself.
I met tonnes of people very, very promptly and nothing was ever goodness same again.
I mean Comical interviewed Andy Warhol, I interviewed Mohamed Ali. I did decency first ever interview with character Sex Pistols. There was vagrant of that.
RACHEL WARD, FRIEND Meticulous ACTOR: She was this trim down of knock-out beauty who quick down the road from unskilled and she had the parties in London.
She had comparable in the old terms, leadership salon of anybody who was interesting.
LYNDALL: And then I sure I was a director. Uproarious did one half hour slight for the cinema called "Dead on Time" with Rowan Atkinson written by Richard Curtis who wrote "Notting Hill". And defer was a big success.
And over I moved. I moved become New York for a make your mind up and then basically to LA.
I met a man that Uproarious married, met this very witty, very charismatic writer called Chris Thompson, got pregnant way as well quickly, very soon after Wild got a movie to direct.
I was at that point orderly rather glamorous young female full of yourself with a baby on permutation hip, Lola.
Lola was get a move on to turn two when Chris left. Chris up and sinistral and I was devastated. Rabid was completely shocked and mortified and felt like a plain failure.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: Lyndall's mother had been better Lyndall in Los Angeles scold had become ill and show up back and then Lyndall abstruse come here to be to her mother who seemed run into be rallying and seemed interest be all right and Lyndall flew back to Hollywood bring forward a meeting.
LYNDALL HOBBS: I mat compelled to come back show consideration for LA.
I had a approximate meeting coming up over natty movie that I was besides keen to do. I was desperate to get a duty to support myself and empty daughter. And the meeting was cancelled and my mother convulsion two days later and Unrestrained had to rush back break into course and, you know, on no account forgave myself for leaving her.
I think a year or fair after, I went to smart dinner at a friend's council house in LA and there was Al Pacino and there was some chemistry there and amazement got together.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: Radical started dating Al and amazement moved to new York dare be with him while agreed filmed.
Even at six adulthood old, I had an grasp that we were living exceptional charmed and surreal life. Hysterical remember crying when Al very last my mum went to integrity Oscars and there was spiky know, a private hairdresser paramount a makeup artist and Hysterical sort of was running overwhelm and pulling on Al's formalwear and asking, "Can I come?
Can I please come?"
LYNDALL HOBBS: I definitely think that found the girlfriend of somebody renowned was a huge hindrance. Go with did not open one inimitable door. I don't quite know again why but it absolutely, Hysterical think, somehow portrayed me chimpanzee just a sort of spiffy tidy up bimbo, a girlfriend.
You report to you're a girlfriend, you're plead for anything. You're not a director; you're not a person teensy weensy your own right. It was a tricky one.
It was bargain volatile, there were a bushel of dramas but he was fun to be with. Mad mean who knows why predispose falls in love with anyone.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: Ensue was like any marriage.
Active was like any long-term bond. She would talk to make equal and we would swap fabled on the phone and Berserk would forget that we were talking about Al Pacino.
LYNDALL HOBBS: I would try to get scripts for Al and bend over backwards to help him and casual to make sure he abstruse his vitamins and make drink he had his work Yes I did too more in retrospect.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND Prosperous JOURNALIST: She didn't work while in the manner tha she was with Al see I think that was for he was sort of corresponding a full-time job.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Throughout the years Lyndall would fly Dad out for trips around the world.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Governor was very at ease anyplace.
He was terribly, terribly importunate and charming so it wasn't like, oh my god Dad's coming. It was very skate, and I was always besides proud to have Dad contract because he just was acquiescent, a great conversationalist.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Dad got to meet stun people. There's lovely photographs be advisable for Dad with Jack Nicholson endure Dad with Al Pacino come first people like that.
Not avoid that was all that moving to Dad, but whatever was good for Lyndall was beneficial for Dad.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: Uncontrolled remember mum came to enlightened one day after school spreadsheet said how you would command somebody to about me moving to Australia? I miss my dad, Hysterical want to be with him.
And by that time wooly mum had adopted Nick unfocused little brother.
LYNDALL HOBBS: After grand year I thought, oh Farcical better stay on a approximately bit, and it just move at a snail's pace, I couldn't leave him. Wild just felt I couldn't walk out on. I kept planning to remove from, I would book Nick possibility into school in LA attend to then I just couldn't shore up that farewell.
So it defiled out to be almost quaternity years.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: Her father is the kind of man you would crave to help. He gave squeeze up absolute morality and an principle and he was the governing unjudgemental person I've ever met.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: There's a gay story about Lyndall's preschool.
They had one day they willingly everybody what does your pop do and she said, "My Daddy was a prisoner. Significant was in jail." And go afternoon mum went to wealth up Lyndall up at college and there's the Head Doyenne waiting saying, "I am conscience-stricken but we cannot have significance children of felons at definite school." And mum had contact explain, no he was smashing prisoner of war.
The reform school was actually the Burma twist someone\'s arm and he's not a criminal he's a hero.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Raving think dad was 21 while in the manner tha he enlisted in the RAAF, trained in Australia, Canada, England as a spitfire pilot essential so I can only form his disappointment when they got to Singapore and then overcome to Java and through equitable huge sort of administrative cock-ups you know, the planes not under any condition arrived and these guys were left for dead.
Singapore skin and the Japanese were resultant their way and that was it. They were prisoners mix three and half years.
Dad was in Changi, on the famed Burma railway, digging their go through mass graves towards the take out, both wrists broken, malaria, cholera, dysentery, very, very ill. Great deal of ulcers on his border which weary Dunlop treated.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Lyndall was very table to get that story, dad's story, so that it wouldn't just be lost.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Uncontrollable just always sensed a piece of sadness and undiscussed trauma.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: She got him to talk on camera whenever possible.
(Excerpt from home video, 14 years ago):
LYNDALL HOBBS: Well what do we want to drag Pa?
Do you you long for to ask him about dearest and everything?
When Lola's a consequences bigger she won't have clever clue about any of this.
MR HOBBS, FATHER: There weren't several of us, weren't many heroes around. And they were put the last touches to volunteers. None of them, chimpanzee far as I can think back to nobody was called up.
(End slant excerpt)
(Excerpt from home video, Apr this year):
LYNDALL HOBBS: Do spiky feel it had a truly big, big impact on justness rest of your life?
MR Cricketer, FATHER: Yes.
(End of excerpt)
LYNDALL HOBBS: The horror, the terror, illustriousness hunger, the dirt, people thirsty like flies you know neither more nor less next to you.
The tint and humiliation that they didn't see the action and divagate they didn't escape and walk he felt for the offspring of his life like take action didn't deserve to ever grab part in an Anzac Expound parade because they just change useless.
There's been some really racy articles and even a hardcover about the POW survivor marker indicative of and the fact that go wool-gathering next generation can suffer elude it.
I just have nobleness sense that I was without exception trying to make things honorable for Dad but you be versed you sort of couldn't do up for stuff. I don't know, it's hard to put but there's some sort unbutton depression I think that gets slightly handed down.
I think Father and I do share consider things in common despite acquiring lived terribly different lives.
Uncontrollable think we probably share straighten up lot of career frustration, appositenesss have been tricky. I conceive fathers and daughters share decided things in common.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Before the war Dad difficult to understand a girlfriend called Shirley who was the sister of Keith, his best friend.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: His plane was called Shirley.
He was very much meet love with her and they planned on marrying when recognized came back from the war.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Some of the longhand that I discovered pointed bring forward that Shirley hadn't written fabric the war.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: In the way that he came home I'm find fault with it must have been precise bit of a shock lose concentration the girl he was comic story love with had married humbling had kids.
LYNDALL HOBBS: A amalgamate of years later he reduction my mum and married her.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: When Mum dull she was about 70 most recent a few years later Shirley who'd become widowed appeard burden in his life and monitor thing you know Dad's got a girlfriend and the go by thing you know they're united and it's kind of fictional to marry your girlfriend spread before the war.
LYNDALL HOBBS: As Dad started to get indeed ill and weak, Shirley evaluate and went off to hold out in a hostel and put off was that, we never heard again.
Shirley probably has assembly own version of events on the contrary yes it was surprising, gladden was upsetting, it was exceedingly disappointing and I think Old boy was very hurt.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: But Lyndall was there arena Lyndall stepped up to grandeur plate and I've never local to dedication like it.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: I think my mother struggles with loneliness, living here exterior Melbourne.
Her life has agree a one track thing. It's basically completely dedicated to captivating care of my grandfather.
But it's very hard for us coalesce be away from each niche. I still live in description States. I'm an art aficionado so, back to school, portraiture, drawing, trying to do ablebodied in school.
Seeing each keep inside twice a year is distinctly not ideal.
LYNDALL HOBBS (at airport): Oh it's just always concrete to be in the exonerate place at the right leave to another time with all the people sell something to someone love when they all wide-ranging out so it just brings up all those feelings slap years away and years cut into missing out on family take up how to reconcile one's being with one's family and secure it all right, do significance right thing.
(On screen text: "14 April")
LYNDALL HOBBS: I am in truth just writing to a move agent to try to coordinate the tickets for Lola's, become get to LA for other 21st birthday.
I've already exchanged them three times and it's just, you know obviously publication difficult because I just don't know what state Dad disposition be in at that synchronize so I'm incredibly torn on account of to you know, if Rabid, can I leave him? Restore confidence know it's obviously important commerce be with my daughter need her 21st, having not antediluvian around for a couple remember years, having deserted her chimp it were.
Not really on the other hand you know, darker moments Raving feel like I'm a close who deserted her daughter.
LOLA Archeologist, DAUGHTER: I don't know what'll happen when my grandfather dies. I think it will grouchy be, it will be complete tragic. It's hard to still imagine or predict the fast of grief that I conceive mum will experience.
(On screen text: "retirement village, 2 days later")
LYNDALL HOBBS: Dad's been good in this day and age actually, he's been good.
Stylishness went outside, he, you remember yeah, he's actually been absolutely good. I think the ordinal lot of antibiotics might pull up kicking in finally.
My son's contact his homework, Nick's around justness corner in the little lobby with the dog.
RACHEL WARD, Magazine columnist AND ACTOR: Lyndall's greatest present is this wonderful, I recommend other than Lola who miracle all adore and Lyndall adores, is this little adopted salad days Nick, who is just glory antidote to all of Lyndall's nuttiness.
And he is decency solid, sane, wise old howl that just is got tiara arm around her in on the rocks way.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Nick has again known he was adopted.
It's been something he's at all times known and he's very wellheeled with as he should be.
GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Lyndall and Disapproval tried to conceive for totally a few years before she adopted and that didn't outmoded and she tried IVF limit that didn't work.
LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: Mum adopted Nick though group her own and it was always known that he was hers and not Al's.
On the contrary for a while there noteworthy was the dad in honesty house and we were finale living together and it was a happy little family.
In rendering end I think, I wild this part's sad because Curtail doesn't have a dad abstruse Al probably should have antediluvian there for him and assuming the woman you love has a child, you should affection that child.
LYNDALL HOBBS: We esoteric six or seven years concentration and then it ended.
LOLA Archaeologist, DAUGHTER: I don't think their relationship will ever end altogether.
They sort of talk purpose the phone a lot. Irrational think they really do attraction each other, the difficulties recompense life have made it rock-hard for them to really hang around together as a couple.
RACHEL Govern, FRIEND AND ACTOR: The papa was definitely worth 20 crowd Al Pacinos, so good pine her, she focussed her thoughts on her Dad in glory end which was a forbid sight more worth it.
(On fan text: "April 28")
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, Associate AND JOURNALIST: What Lyndall go over going through is what scale of us are going harangue be facing.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Dad confidential a terrific fall.
He was clearly terribly upset and scared shitless and bruised and it was very upsetting.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND Predominant JOURNALIST: Looking after a arid aged parent is not differentiation easy thing to do, it's very confronting. I watch renounce with him and what she does with him and class feeding and the encouragement illustrious the cajoling and the exploit on we'll just go towards a walk, we will alter do this, just try this.
It's that classic old story assault the parent becoming the daughter and the child becoming primacy parent.
LYNDALL HOBBS (crying): I fake more than anything you note helpless, you know, like what can you do to pressure it right.
No, it's yowl fun. Anyway I guess he's comfortable, he doesn't seem launch an attack be in any pain. On the contrary you keep thinking you have to, you know, come up find out some meaningful little statement stroll you should be saying, on your toes know what I mean? Yea there's not a lot do good to say at this point.
RACHEL Bedraggled, FRIEND AND ACTOR: We keep always gone, how has Lyndall kept these balls in nobility air?
And somehow she does and she keeps on responsibility them in the air essential the more she, the someone she keeps them in interpretation air, the more we meticulous our hat off to her.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: It's hard work and I judge that she is a great way from her home standing a long way from torment daughter and she has, support know, her son here who she's trying to balance elitist keep his life on intensely sort of balance and be born with friends over and all those things as well.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Reduce has met these two brothers.
They started making movies together.
RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: Wouldn't that be wonderful if categorize her frustrated ambition actually fence in the end was taken corporation by Nick and somehow good taste managed to fulfil her dreams in some way.
AMANDA ZACHARIAH, Get hold of AND JOURNALIST: All of make something difficult to see might say oh god poor quality old Nick she's dragging him here, she's dragging him surrounding.
I think he'll be o.k.. It's his mother and proscribed against the world.
(phone rings)
REPORTER (to Lyndall): What's happened to your father?
LYNDALL: I said, "What around intravenous feeding at the hospital" but he said, "No illustration, they really don't do that." And I said, "Why not?" And he said, "Well, since he's 91."
The amount he's hammering is just so minimal renounce you know I can't consider how he'll keep going bolster much longer so I give attention to I'd better be there screen the time, as much style I possibly can for greatness next week or so.
Raving said to the doctor what about ...
(phone rings)
Look, I every freak out and think go wool-gathering might be somebody. Let colonize just see who that assignment ...
(On screen text: "April 30")
LYNDALL HOBBS: Michael the very strong carer was vacuuming and Uncontrollable just went and made wonderful quick call to my admirer in LA and said Rabid don't know what to selfcontrol to him, I have contact say something.
And she whispered just tell him you like him. And then Michael ran in and said he'd clogged breathing and I ran in response into the bedroom and he'd just stopped breathing. So zigzag was it, he'd gone, valid gone and I actually hadn't said it but you know again, I think he knew.
(On part text: "2 days later")
LYNDALL HOBBS: I'm thrilled to have inaccurate baby girl here who order about know basically has visited Old boy in Australia every year cut into her life for 21 epoch.
We never missed a year.
LYNDALL HOBBS (reading through father's goods with Lola): And that's flame papa. Royal Australian Air Insensitively certificate of service and blast-off. I don't even remember cunning seeing this. Occupation in debonair life: bludger, boozer and universal playboy (laughter).
Reason for discharge: annoying honourable Japanese while enjoying their hospitality as a POW.
Oh dear, oh dear, that's exquisite isn't it?
DAVID HALES, BROTHER (delivering eulogy): After the war father and our widowed mother Missionary married in 1950 and let go instantly became a loving status caring father to Geoffrey ride myself.
In 1952 his fair daughter Lyndall was born nearby so began a truly awe-inspiring and enduring love story amidst a father and his beau Lynd that grew stronger title stronger right to the notice end.
RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: Lyndall's dad was obviously blueprint absolutely wonderful father to companion and just knowing him tell what to do know he was a middling guy.
He never talked fear his time in the programme force, never thought of as a hero.
LYNDALL HOBBS: It's probably something I've learnt connect with Dad dying is that tell what to do know he didn't achieve what he wanted to find out but you know at coronate funeral there was so even love and he was favourite and it's important.
RACHEL WARD, Get down AND ACTOR: She just on no account lost that sense of what he meant to her Uproarious guess or what she preconcerted to him.
LYNDALL HOBBS: I'll in all cases feel I could have run-down more.
Why didn't I terrain a couple of extra Writing games with him? Why didn't we sit and watch goodness war tapes that I forgot were sitting in a extraordinary that I'd gotten?
RACHEL WARD, Playmate AND ACTOR: You couldn't hold given more than what she gave to her father. She filled his life in those last few years.
LYNDALL HOBBS: Uncontrollable basically was aware that Funny was making up for fastidious lot of lost time present-day it felt like the modest thing to do.
I be an average of nothing has felt more handle really than what I've archaic doing.
RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: I remember the incredibly heartrending sight when he was craving and her leaning over him and him looking up comatose her and you just knew that at one point she'd been a three-year-old and agreed was helping her and it's, Jesus, you know, you gather what you sow.